May 15, 2016

Tipoo Sultan

When i was in Bangalore i visited a palace on the way to Mysore. It was Tipoo Sultan palace. The name attracted me because in Malay, the sound similar like tipu which means cheating. So it kind of funny to know that someone's name sound like  "tipu". But somehow when i read abt Tipoo sultan in that palace and from wiki, it give me some kind of mixed feeling. He was brave that is for sure.. He and his father just normal people but they managed to raise as important ruler during that time. He did lots of thing to develop MySore. He also seems to be a good in war, wins lots of war. He is a muslim. Some said he did donation to temple under his ruling and he also don't mind of listening to both bells from temple and azan from mosque nearby his palace but at the same time he did a force conversion of Hindu people to Muslim which and based on what I read it merely due to power not because of religion itself. This is one person that I don't know know to what i felt against him. However what that strike me most is event happen before his down fall. The British was cornered him, and his advisor asked him to escape using some escape route but he against it and said "One day of life as a Tiger is far better than thousand years of living as a Sheep". So he stand there and fight with the British and was killed. It kind of sad ending. Today I spent some times visiting scotland national gallery.. Guess what did I found? Tipoo sultan's painting. This time it was at different perspective. It shows a guy so proud of killing Tipoo sultan.  Ironic kan.